I took 2 days at the back end of last year, which is the first time I've taken time off sick in as long as I can remember, simply because I could barely move off the sofa.

Because I mostly work from home and only need to go into the office once or twice a week, I tend just to work through on the fairly rare occasions that I'm sick (just the odd bad cold, that type of thing).

If I'm sick I take a day off - depending on how sick - I don't struggle in and suffer all day but at the same time I wouldn't take a day off just because I've got a cold. Do I take a day off because I can't face it - no - when I was a lot younger I have taken the occasional sickie because I had other things to do but I didn't make a habit of it.

These threads normally turn into a pissing contest as to how few days off they've taken in the last 50 years and still went into work even though they were dead.

I think it's quite selfish to drag yourself in if you are really sick and spread your germs to your colleagues! Also, you will take longer to get better if you try and struggle on, so your company will have you on reduced productivity for even longer! I catch almost every illness that does the rounds, so if someone comes into work snotting and sniffling all over the place, I get really mad! Maybe I should be mad at my below par immune system instead

If you can't face going into work on a regular basis, you need to change jobs! That's what I did. I will spend most of my life at work, so it has to be enjoyable most of the time.

I have time off if I have a fever or have been sick. If I feel rough but neither of the previous apply then I have two tests - can I tollerate washing my hair (if the druming of the water on my head is too much then I won't be able to tollerate office noise) and am I safe to drive?

I did once have a 'mental health' day, but I took it as annual leave rather than as sick. I was being put in an impossible situation at work and told the person responsible that I wasn't coming back in until they had fixed it.

If I'm unwell, which is very rare, I will take the day off or as many as I need. I'll wait for one clear day of feeling more or less up to it before I return. I won't struggle in and be a hero and in the process give it to everyone else. If a colleague is clearly unwell I'll hassle him or her to feck off out the office, take their germs with them, and stay away until they're better.

I'm very fortunate. Needed only one day off sick last year and none the previous, and last came down with man flu about four years ago.

mental health day?? wtf?? if you're mentally unwell you should get treatment. a CBA day would be a better description not a MHD

I had to have a quiet word with a (former) employee who started to develop a routine of having Monday's off - something he ate, sore throat, all the usual excuses. never more than one day. I never accused him of shirking but dropped a very strong hint that there seemed to be a pattern. it never happened again.

+1 with others who say if you're genuinely sick, stay at home. if one of my staff has dragged their sorry snotty head into my office, I'll tell them to bugger off home and suffer there.

I recently had 3 days off with flu - the genuine article, not your manflu crap - first time I'd been off with illness for years

Oh yes and people who say they've worked thru the flu haven't. They've just had a cold. I had the flu for a week once and there's no way I could have gone to work. It really takes it out of you. No amount of bloody Beechams powders will fix that.

@fat buddha - when I worked for a local authority the HB director often took Mon/Tue off sick, then worked the following Sat/Sun on double-time. He'd do that at least once month, but as he was well within the self-certification rules there was chaff all that could be done to stop it.

I took off 4 days last year - 2 were due to a nasty case of gastro virus where there was no physical chance for me to move away from the bathroom and the second 2 were on doctors orders for low blood pressure.

At my work - it depends on your boss. They can either be quite strict and tell you to stay at home or they'll demand that you're in (unless you're literally dying or in hospital).

I think if you're ill - stay at home and don't spread it.

For those that need a mental health day - I can completely understand it. I'd never do it - but I know people that need it (either due to the workplace being unbearable or just mental exhaustion). I'd never fire someone for knowing when they need a break/time off.

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